


when we touch (don’t ever let me go)

by fraternize



Series: you’re my twenties [1]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, New Year's Eve, Underage Drinking, kai is a bit too good at flirting, taehyun hates him for it, they’re whipped for each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28599477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraternize/pseuds/fraternize
Summary: Taehyun feels Kai smile into the kiss, feels the softness of his lips and the way they slightly taste like vodka and strawberry, and if that’s what being twenty is all about, then maybe it's not as bad as he thought.
Relationships: Huening Kai/Kang Taehyun
Series: you’re my twenties [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097408
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	when we touch (don’t ever let me go)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [duswns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/duswns/gifts).



> happy birthday mel !! lau and i found this cute fic idea and thought it would be fun to write it for you, so here it is !! i hope you will have the bestest day ever and all your wishes will come true. i love you <3

“Meet me on the rooftop in five minutes?” Kai asks in a breathy voice against Taehyun’s ear, breath reeking of vodka and strawberry syrup. It’s 11:50pm as he says this, ten minutes before January first and before the two boys’ official transition to adulthood. 

Their initial plan was to stay home and watch movies together until the clock struck midnight, but Soobin decided it would be a good idea to text Kai at the last minute to invite the two of them over for his new year’s eve party. Taehyun knows Soobin’s move was calculated, it has to be, considering how Kai is known for his unpredictability. He’s always been all or nothing. Either the life of the party or a homebody. Continuously speaking without ever catching his breath or dead silent. An open book or a locked diary. 

But not when it comes to Soobin. When it comes to Soobin, Kai is the most predictable person in the world because he can’t refuse him anything. That’s why Soobin texted Kai instead of Taehyun in the first place, if he knew from the start that he wouldn’t stand a single chance of convincing Taehyun, he also knew he’d manage to change Kai’s mind in a heartbeat.

That’s why when Kai looked up from his phone to stare at Taehyun, puppy eyes on full display as he threw himself onto him, Taehyun knew it was over before it even started.

_“C’mon Taehyun, we’re turning twenty. We need to celebrate,” Kai argued earlier that day, dead serious. “We don’t have to stay the entire time, we can just have fun until midnight then ditch the party like we always do.”_

_“What’s the point of going then?” Taehyun raised an unconvinced eyebrow at him. “Can’t we just stay at home and cuddle? You love cuddling, especially with me.”_

_“Okay but hear me out. We can get drunk legally,” Kai tried again, shamelessly ignoring Taehyun’s questions, desperate to find the perfect argument that would convince Taehyun otherwise._

_“It’s not fun if it’s legal,” Taehyun deadpanned. He wasn’t that fond of alcohol in the first place, except for tooth-rotting sweet cocktails as they usually toned down the alcohol’s strong taste, but he guessed they didn’t count as he rarely had the opportunity to drink those, anyway._

_“You are not fun,” Kai nagged, detaching himself from Taehyun’s side. “Fine then,” he huffed, “we’re not going. But to make up for it, we’re watching Shrek 4 tonight.”_

_“You wouldn’t dare.” Taehyun looked up at him, fear settling in his spine._

_“Bet.” Kai threatened as he stared back at him with determination, and that’s how Taehyun realized he had lost._

So here they are now. At Soobin’s party, counting down the minutes before the new year together, because Taehyun dislikes parties a little less than he dislikes Shrek 4 — and he also happens to like Kai _a bit too much_ to resist him, but to his defense, so does everyone else on this planet.

He likes to pretend he can, though. Even if it never leads anywhere. 

So that’s what he does. He rolls his eyes as a disinterested ‘ _no_ ’ escapes his lips, feigning annoyance like he means it. He knows there’s no point in turning down Kai's offer anyway because the latter won’t take his answer seriously, but that doesn’t stop him from doing exactly that, just for the sake of it.

Taehyun is fully aware that he’s stubborn for nothing, actions nurturing Kai’s assumptions instead of proving him wrong, but he's always liked to live in denial from time to time. Likes to believe that even if he’s head-over-heels for his best friend of five years, he isn’t _foolishly_ head-over-heels, ready to jump head first in an ocean full of sharks because the best friend in question told him to. 

Not that Kai cares about any of this anyway. No matter how hard he tries to keep his guard up, Taehyun always ends up being laughed at by him. The worst part of it is that Taehyun can’t even get upset, because he understands how ridiculous he is, always trying to stand up to Kai only to cave in to his desires after seeing his poor attempts of persuasion.

“Alright, it’s settled then,” Kai chuckles as he meets Taehyun’s gaze, laughing a bit louder when Taehyun’s jaw slightly drops in shock. They exchange one last look, a silent agreement that they’ll meet again in a few, before Kai turns around and disappears into the crowd. For a beat Taehyun stands still in the middle of the living room, mouth agape, then he comes back to his senses and the only thing he manages to do is laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

He ignores the curious eyes on him as he nervously laughs to himself and heads straight to the kitchen instead. One second he’s pouring himself a shot of vodka, the next one he’s downing it, flinching at the burning sensation in his throat and the atrocious taste it leaves in his mouth. He catches Soobin’s surprised gaze from the other side of the counter but doesn’t linger on it, already excusing himself as he makes his way out of the kitchen. 

The way to the rooftop is easier than he remembered, maybe because he’s been there enough to have the path engraved in his brain, or maybe it’s the alcohol running in his veins and the excitement of spending the last minutes of the year alone with Kai, just as he had initially wished.

Either way, he gets there fast. Forty seconds before 11:55pm. Just enough time to realize that he forgot his jacket and that it’s really cold outside, but not enough time to head back to the party to pick it up.

“You’re here,” Kai observes when he catches sight of him forty one seconds later, punctual as ever. There’s an amused smile on his lips as he says that, one that reads ‘ _you can’t win against me_ ’ and even if he hates to see it, Taehyun has to admit Kai looks the prettiest like this, with his long brown curls slightly falling in front of his eyes, cheeks dusted pink after a few drinks, a small smile plastered on his face.

He still hates it though. Mostly because it reads something true. It’s a known fact after all, Taehyun can’t refuse Kai anything, the same way Kai can’t refuse Soobin anything.

“I am,” Taehyun repeats, suddenly at loss for words. He can’t focus on anything but the cold breeze sneaking inside his short-sleeved shirt and shaking up his entire body, or the way he’s a bit too tipsy, vision blurred and slightly swaying. “Why did you want me to come here?”

“I just wanted to spend the last minutes of the year alone with my best friend,” Kai shrugs, slowly walking closer to him, “was that too much to ask?”

“Yes,” Taehyun answers immediately as another shiver crosses his body. He takes a second to look at Kai up and down, suddenly annoyed at the fact that the younger is wearing a long padded jacket and he’s not. “Where did you find this jacket?”

“I have no idea,” Kai admits with a smile. It’s his turn to look at Taehyun up and down, “you look like you’re freezing,” he points out, unzipping his padded jacket and opening it wide for Taehyun to squeeze himself inside, “c’mere.”

Taehyun is too tipsy to push Kai away, so he wraps his arms around the younger’s middle and rests his chin on his shoulder, letting himself bathe in his warmth for a little while.

“Thank you,” Taehyun breathes, mind foggy. They stay like this for a few seconds, lulled by the city sounds and muffled music coming from a certain apartment a few floors under their feet, and maybe it’s not so bad, maybe Taehyun can be content with what he has even if it’s not exactly what he wanted.

“Did I hear you correctly?” Kai jokes, wrapping his arms a little tighter around Taehyun’s shoulders. “What happened to you, Mr. _I-have-too-much-pride-to-thank-my-own-best-friend_?”

“Shut up,” Taehyun mumbles, “I just wanted to be nice for once.”

“You must be really drunk then,” Kai says with a laugh, breath tickling Taehyun’s neck. “What’s next? Are you finally going to massage my back like you said you would a week ago?”

Taehyun chuckles at that. “Maybe,” he says, a bit out of it. Kai’s clothes smell like strawberry and it’s hypnotizing, driving his mind wild with thoughts he shouldn’t have but before he can stop himself, his mouth beats him to it, “have you ever had a New Year’s kiss?”

“ _A kiss_? You sure have an interesting definition of being nice, Taehyun,” Kai laughs again, but there’s no judgement to it, no hint of discomfort, and for a second, Taehyun wants to believe he stands a chance. “But to answer your question, no I haven’t.”

“As surprising as it is, neither have I,” Taehyun admits, glad Kai can’t see his face and the relieved smile at the corner or his lips.

“It’s not very surprising to me.” Kai teases, but Taehyun doesn’t let him savor his joke as he slightly pinches the skin on the younger’s back and watches with delight as the latter winces in pain, “ _ow_ , is that what you call being nice?” he scowls, detaching himself from Taehyun who mourns his sudden loss of warmth. “Meanie.”

“That’s what you deserve for not being funny.” Taehyun nags, feigning nonchalance.

“You know, I was willing to help you find a solution, but you’re being very ungrateful right now.” Kai pouts as he rubs his back. 

“What’s your solution, then,” Taehyun raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him, “kissing each other at midnight?” He suggests, voice full of sarcasm because that’s what he’s the best at. Protecting himself so he’s not the one who ends up getting hurt.

“Why not?” Kai shrugs, face unreadable. For a second, he inspects Taehyun’s face without uttering a single word, eyebrows frowned, concentration at its maximum, then he locks eyes with Taehyun again, and says in a calm voice, as if it was only logic, “you have pretty lips.”

“Oh my god, shut up,” Taehyun hits him on the arm with annoyance, trying his best to conceal his fluster, “you can’t say things like that.”

“I mean it,” Kai says with a smile, extending his hand to remove a piece of hair out of Taehyun’s eyes, “you’re really pretty, Taehyun.”

Taehyun swallows, face hot, “you’re only saying this because you’re drunk.”

“Is that so?” Kai tilts his head, faking innocence, “I thought I was saying this because I like you.”

“You _what_?” he asks, not believing his own ears. There’s no way he heard that right. Taehyun likes Kai the way Kai likes Soobin. That’s the rule. That’s how it’s supposed to be. So, he gives him the reminder, just in case he’s too drunk to remember, “I thought you liked Soobin hyung.”

“Soobin hyung?” Kai repeats with a laugh, glowing like a thousand suns under the dim lights of the rooftop. He cups Taehyun’s face with his palms softly, “I only have eyes for you, Taehyun.”

“Ugh,” Taehyun shudders with disgust, “that was so cheesy,” he says, but Kai doesn’t take his words seriously, laughing wholeheartedly instead.

“You love me,” Kai sing-songs, squishing Taehyun’s face in between his hands, “admit it, Kang.”

“You wish,” Taehyun challenges as he breaks away from Kai’s grasp, taking a few steps back to get some fresh winter air back into his lungs. It’s freezing outside but he’s suddenly hot, overwhelmed by feelings that he never once thought about revealing, and overwhelmed by Kai’s presence, standing just a handspan away from him.

“Yeah I do,” Kai admits, instinctively following Taehyun’s steps, staring right into him with half-lidded eyes, “what are you gonna do about it?”

“You’re out of your mind, Huening,” Taehyun shakes his head in disbelief.

And then, he does it. He tugs at Kai’s collar, bringing the younger’s face closer to his, and he kisses him. There’s no fireworks behind them, no people cheering like it should’ve been, but it feels right nonetheless. He feels Kai smile into the kiss, feels the softness of his lips and the way they slightly taste like vodka and strawberry, and if that’s what being twenty is all about, then maybe it's not as bad as he thought.

“Your timing is terrible,” Kai teases when the fireworks erupt in the sky a minute later, painting the pitch black sky in hues of reds, pinks and blues.

“Yeah, yeah, happy new year to you too.” Taehyun rolls his eyes, feigning annoyance yet again, except this time there’s a fond smile at the corner of his lips, and it doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. 

**Author's Note:**

> cc/twt: @pixietyun


End file.
